X marks the spot

Because of unmatched facilities and ideal weather, dozens of
the world's best skateboarders, snowboarders and surfers live and
train in North County

Staying in Brazil simply wasn't an option for Bob Burnquist.

The Rio de Janeiro native had recently joined vert
skateboarding's elite, and he needed to move to the United States
in order to take advantage of his newfound fame. In 1995, he took
an apartment in San Francisco, a cosmopolitan city in its own
right.

But as time went on, Burnquist realized that the center of the
skateboarding universe was farther south. The North County skating
scene, founded by pioneers Tony Hawk and Danny Way, was the place
to be if you wanted to perfect your craft.

"The area has such a rich history," said Burnquist, 29. "It
started with the Del Mar Skate Ranch and the fact that a legend
like Tony (Hawk) comes from this area. The industry companies are
also really close by, which is a definite benefit.

"While North County is a spot for athletes from all different
(action) sports, the vert scene has flourished out here for sure.
North County is the center of the world for vert
skateboarding."

North County is the place to be for most action sports, maybe
more now than ever. Many of the industry's top athletes,
corporations and sponsors, media outlets and talent agencies are
based in the area. All that, in addition to a temperate climate,
has made North County a major hub for the booming action sports
market.

Some of the most popular names in the industry, including Hawk,
Way, fellow trailblazer Cara-Beth Burnside, Olympic snowboarding
gold medalist/skater extraordinaire Shaun White and surfing icon
Rob Machado have long called North County home.

An influx of fresh talent continues en masse. North County's
industry status has brought outsiders like skateboarders Bucky
Lasek and Pierre-Luc Gagnon and snowboarder Keir Dillon to the
region in recent years.

Skateboarding is king

While many action sports are popular in this area, skateboarding
reigns supreme. Although the Del Mar Skate Ranch -- a migration
point during skateboarding's early days -- has closed, public and
private facilities have popped up in most every neighborhood across
the region, including the renown Magdalena Ecke YMCA in Encinitas,
the Escondido Skatepark, DC Shoes' warehouse in Vista, Hawk's
private venue in Carlsbad and Burnquist's backyard in Vista.

Such stellar facilities allow pros to progress and amateurs to
foster their talent, ensuring that North County will continue to be
both a hotbed and a breeding ground for skateboarders.

"The vert scene prospered because Danny and Tony are from here,"
Burnquist said. "When I moved to San Francisco, I skated all over
the place. But as things started progressing, I wanted to move to
Encinitas. I didn't really know anything about the town, but I knew
the 'Y' was right there. I moved into the area and skated with my
peers quite a bit. Everyone was there because of the 'Y'. On a
professional level, we learned a lot more by skating with each
other rather than doing our own thing."

The Encinitas "Y," which now features a giant halfpipe, a street
section, two pools and a small section for younger children, has
traditionally been a place where professionals go to fine-tune
their craft.

"The only ramp in Southern California worth riding in the early
'90s was the Encinitas YMCA," Hawk said via email, "so many of the
skaters moved here during that time, and most of them stayed."

A common training ground sparked swift progress. Professionals
challenged each other to perform new and improved maneuvers,
pushing all the way.

Once Hawk nailed a 900 -- 2 1/2 revolutions in the air -- for
the first time in 1999, it prompted others to duplicate the feat.
Brazilian Sandro Dias and White have both done it in a contest
setting. As is traditional among skaters, White is reportedly
trying to one-up that feat and has been attempting a 1080 during
practice sessions at the Encinitas YMCA.

That give and take also works on a technical level. Burnquist
brought his expert switch techniques --- meaning one can perform
maneuvers both backward and forward -- from the hip surroundings of
San Francisco to the relaxed Southern California community, while
others, namely Lasek, have incorporated it into their contest
routine.

"Bucky has really taken switch and incorporated it into his
runs," Burnquist said. "That has really made him into a polished,
complete skateboarder who's really tough to beat. When I watch him
skate, I realize how important it is to be well-rounded.

"But it's good to have an edge, that you can do things that no
one else is going to do."

That's part of the reason private skateparks have popped up
throughout the region. The privacy gives pros room to film and
experiment without putting their repertoire on full display.

"That's part of the reason why we built a park for our
athletes," said Ken Block, co-founder of DC Shoes. "We want our
athletes to be able to protect their innovations. We also want them
to be able to work on their tricks at their convenience, not based
upon the schedule of a public skatepark."

Way, who did not respond to numerous interview requests,
frequently uses the DC warehouse to do things on a skateboard no
one ever thought imaginable.

"The stuff Danny is doing is taking skateboarding in an entirely
different direction," Hawk said. "It is very exciting to see
another discipline come to life."

Way's school of skateboarding is more than extreme. It's
borderline insane.

He is the godfather of the popular mega-ramp, which he has used
to jump over the Great Wall of China. It's also a main event at the
X Games and has sparked others like Burnquist -- who recently
skated on a rail and base jumped into the Grand Canyon -- to try
extreme tricks.

"We've been really stoked to be a part of what Danny's doing,"
said Block, whose company finances most of Way's grandiose, flashy
feats.

"Sometimes his ideas sound a little crazy, but he always finds a
way to pull it off. It's amazing to see how big his achievements
are in the world of skateboarding."

Pros mix with amateurs

Although progress is sometimes made behind closed doors, Block
doesn't believe that will significantly decrease amateurs' access
to the pros.

"They'll still see them at public parks," he said. "But they'll
also be able to learn from the videos the pros put out and learn
new ideas that way."

Pros still frequent public venues and willingly assist the
amateurs that flock to the public skatepark on a daily basis.

An example of professional mentoring occurred on Thursday
afternoon at the YMCA. Encinitas resident and top-flight
skateboarder Buster Halterman was busy filming a video and training
for upcoming contests, yet he still took time to give pointers to
the youngsters around him.

"Buster taught me everything I know about skating vert," said
11-year old Encinitas resident Zane Timpson, who states well beyond
his years. "He's always been really nice to me and helped me out
when I needed it."

Although it may take some extra time to get through a workout,
Halterman doesn't mind sharing ramp space and offering pointers to
the younger generation.

"I love it," the Pennsylvania native said. "I was a youngster
once, and I know how intimidating it can be to have a bunch of
older kids on the ramp. I've always tried to make the little ones
feel welcome, encourage them to progress and give them some
constructive criticism.

"Hopefully I can make a positive impression on them, so they
take care of my kids when they're old enough to skate."

According to skatepark regulars, Halterman's attitude is common
among the pros.

That type of mentoring helps the younger generation progress.
And White's emergence is proof of that.

The Carlsbad native grew up skating at the Ecke YMCA. Although
his athletic ability is uncommon, both his own hard work and the
influence of others developed that freakish talent.

After winning Olympic gold in Turin, the 19-year-old Ecke YMCA
regular became the face of North County's current action-sports
generation. He has already become a figure that the youngsters
idolize and doesn't mind taking time out for those who do.

"I used to skate with Tony Hawk everyday, but I was scared to go
up and talk to him," White said a few months ago. "But after I met
him, I found out he was the coolest guy. I just remember what it's
like when you're young to go up to someone, so I think I appreciate
what they're going through and I try to make it as easy for them as
possible."

Part of the landscape

Professional athletes are commonplace in North County from the
skateparks to the beach. Action sports stars are at a peak in terms
of exposure and compensation (many of the biggest stars are
millionaires), but they're in public so often and are so ingrained
in the region's cultural fabric that most locals are no longer
starstruck.

Even Machado, one of the most recognizable surfers on the
planet, doesn't get mobbed at the beach much these days.

"The only time I really get a lot of attention is during the
summer when tourists are in town," Machado said. "Most of the time,
people just wave. I've been here for a while, so the locals are
pretty used to me by now."